The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, announced today it will award 25 organizations with a $125,000 grant each, for a total donation of $3.125 million, through its 12th annual "Housing for Everyone" grant competition.
The Foundation has increased the grant amount for each recipient by $25,000 per organization, which will enable non-profits to create and/or preserve affordable housing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families who cannot afford a place to live.
The grant competition is the TD Charitable Foundation's signature program to bolster affordable housing efforts in TD Bank's Maine to Florida footprint. The competition invites local non-profit organizations to submit proposals that address the most critical affordable housing needs in their communities, with more than $22.2 million granted since 2006.
The theme of this year's competition is Affordable Housing for All, and seeks applicant organizations that will provide funding for safe, clean, physically accessible housing for all populations, including the elderly, new Americans, individuals with a mental or physical disability, families headed by a single parent or guardian, veterans and emancipated youth. Each year the theme is chosen based on housing needs identified by the Foundation across its footprint.
Applications will only be accepted through the TD Charitable Foundation's online application system and must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. (EST) on September 1, 2017. Paper applications will not be accepted. Notification of awards will be made by mid-November 2017.
Applications for funding must focus on:
Preservation/Rehabilitation/Expansion of viable existing affordable housing properties: This may include the redesign, reconfiguration and/or re-use of existing space in affordable housing properties to create increased quality and quantity of affordable housing units that will meet the specific needs of the population which they are intended to serve. Upgrades to systems, structure and efficiency of properties to preserve and prolong their use will be considered.
Focus on needs of the constituency: Housing programs and services that address the unique needs of their targeted constituency in urban, suburban and rural communities will be viewed favorably. This may include but is not limited to proximity to educational opportunities, access to healthcare, medical, or rehabilitative services, employment opportunities, shopping, community and transportation services, recreational facilities as well as on site services (daycare, before and/or after school programs, community rooms, occupational and or physical therapy etc.) that would be attractive and supportive to the needs of those individuals and their families.
Utilization of abandoned properties to create new units of affordable housing: In urban, suburban and rural areas, the utilization of underused or abandoned properties to provide permanent or interim housing for low- and moderate- income families provides a tremendous opportunity to reverse neighborhood and community decline.
Special consideration will also be given to those initiatives that focus on energy efficiencies to be realized through foundation funding.
Applicant organizations must meet the following guidelines:
- Must be tax-exempt under IRS Code 501(c) (3) or must be a state/local government entity;
- Housing units or properties to be improved must be located in a TD Bank, N.A. metro-market area;
- Must not discriminate on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, marital status, family status, veteran status, disability or other characteristic protected by law.
- Must have a history of developing, maintaining and/or providing affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families
- Must be able to show the impact they have made to affordable housing efforts in their community;
- Must show fiscal responsibility and ongoing viability;
- All housing units or properties to be improved or developed must be for and occupied by low- and moderate-income families;
- For funding towards the creation of new units,, if ground breaking has not already occurred, the organization must break ground for those units sometime during the period from the receipt of the grant (November 2017) through December 2018;
- Must be current on all outstanding debt obligations, utility payments and taxes, and there can be no unsatisfied judgments/liens for which the applicant is liable;
- Must be able to quantify the impact of their proposed affordable housing project;
- Must not have any pending legal actions against it.
A staunch commitment to active involvement in the local community is a vital element of the TD Bank philosophy. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank® and the TD Charitable Foundation provide support to affordable housing, financial literacy and education, and environmental initiatives, many of which focus on improving the welfare of children and families.